Saturday, June 12, 2010

Egon Schiele Goes Retro- Paints Cosimo de Medici!

NOTICED ON THE INTERWEBS-

- Will Last Century’s Styles Open Today’s Wallets?: "For some clothing brands, the summer of 2010 looks a lot like the summer of 1910, and 1949, and 1957 — basically, any time but now..." Jump back to the future & read more!

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ALMANAC-

June 12, 1519: Cosimo de Medici was born. "Cosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569. He is perhaps best known today for the creation of the Uffizi ("offices"). Originally intended as a means of consolidating his administrative control of the various committees, agencies, and guilds established in Florence's Republican past, it now houses one of the world's most important collections of art, much of it commissioned and/or owned by various Medici. He also finished the Pitti Palace as a home for the Medici and created the magnificent Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti. As his more prominent ancestors had been, he was also an important patron of the arts, supporting, among others, Vasari, Cellini, Pontormo, Bronzino, the architect Lanci, and the historians Scipione Ammirato and Benedetto Varchi."

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- June 12, 1890: Egon Schiele, Austrian painter and graphic artist, was born. "Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century. Schiele's work is noted for its intensity, and the many self-portraits the artist produced. The twisted body shapes and the expressive line that characterize Schiele's paintings and drawings mark the artist as an early exponent of Expressionism, although still strongly associated with the art nouveau movement (Jugendstil). The most important collection of Schiele's work is housed in the Leopold Museum, Vienna.

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ON OUR SHELVES-

“Seduction. A Celebration of Sensual Style”

By Caroline Cox.

Published in New York by Collins Design in 2006.

“From Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour in pre-revolutionary France, through the queens of 1930s Hollywood like Jean Harlow and Marlene Dietrich, to modern sex sirens like Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, this large visual history explores the sensual style of the seductress, illustrated with full-page photos, film stills, and reproductions of period art. An international authority on the history of fashion, Caroline Cox explores the art of seduction, examining the many ways in which women have used their environment, apparel, and attitude to create their allure."